Building unit



July 5,1927.

J. A. BIRKHOLZ BUILDING UNIT Filed Sept. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet lllllllllllllllll Tl BINVENJQRE use n 2, BY

fiORNEYS.

I July 5, 1927.

J. A. BIRKHOLZ BUILDING UNIT Filed Sept. 1922 2 $hts-$heet 2 INVENTOR.LIUSEFRA- Bllfgkfll z, I d0 i Emma wmzgd Patented July 5, 1927.

tJNITED STATES JOSEPH A. BIBKI-IOLZ, OF ORANGE, NEW ITERSEY.

BUILDING UNIT.

Application filed September This invention relates, generally, toimprovements in the construction of building units for use in thegeneral construction of buildings, and similar structures; and, thepresent invention has reference, more par ticularly, to a novel buildingunit made of a plastic material, which is molded in the form of a slab,board, or the like, and furthermore, to a novel means of connecting oruniting a number of the units when set up to provide a wall; also toprovide a novel means of closing the joints between two of such slabs orboards by means of a batten; and also to provide a novel means ofsecuring wall-board or other similar finish to the assembled slabs. r

The present invention, therefore, has for its principal objects toprovide an assemblage of novel and simply constructed building units,usually made of concrete, and in the form of slabs, and a novel means ofsecuring battens over the oints of the abutting unitsJwhen in assembledrelation, as well as a novel means of attaching wall-board,.or othersimilar finish to such assembled slabs.

Other objects of the present invention not at this time moreparticularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the followingdetailed description of the present invent-ion.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the saidinvention consists, primarily, in the novel building unit hereinaftermore fully set forth; and, the said invention consists, furthermore, inthe novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices andparts, all of which will be more fully described in the followingspecification, and then finally embodied in the clauses of the claims,which are appended to the said specification, and which form anessential part of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich a, 1922. swarm. ssaosa sembled slabs and the wall-board coveringthe same. 7

Figure 4 is a sectional representatiom'on an enlarged scale, of aportion of a building unit of a slightly modified construction.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the said abovedescribedviews, to indicate corresponding parts. I

Referring now to the said Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, thereference-character 1 indicates, in general, an assemblage of buildingunits, battens for closing the joints of the abutting units, and acovering of wall-board for the same, one particular means for securingthe battens and the wallboard in position with relation to the assembledunits being represented more particularly in Figure 2 of the drawings.

From an inspection more particularl of Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings,it wi 1 be seen that each unit is generally of rectangular conformation,being usuallytwo feet in width and eight feet in length, although itwill be evident that the dimensions of each unit may be varied at will,as may be de-' sired. Each unit consists, essentially, of a mainbody-portion 2 moulded in any suitable material, usually concrete, saidbody being substantially smooth or flat upon one face, as at 3, and saidbody being provided upon its opposite face with longitudinally extendingre-inforcing ribs 4, and laterally extending ribs 5, said ribs 4 and 5projectin g rearwardly from the respective marginal edge-portions of thesaid body 2. The said rear face of the body 2 may also be formed with acentrally disposed rib, as 6, which extends longitudinally of said rearface from and between the two end or laterally extending ribs 5 of theslab or board thus produced. In addition to the above-mentioned ribs,the said body may also be provided, intermediate the longitudinallyextending ribs 4 and 6, with other longitudinally extending re-inforcingribs 7, said lat- 1 ter ribs being preferably V-shape in crosssection.

At suitable points, the said longitudinally extending ribs 4 areprovided with channels 8 of the configuration shown in Figure 2 105 ofthe drawings, or channels 9 of the configuration shown in Figure 4 maybe employed, the purpose of which will presently be more fully setforth.

To provide a wall, or similar structure, 10

two or more of the herein-above described slabs are placed side by side,that is with the longitudinally extending rib 4 of one slab placedadjacent to the longitudinally extending rib 4 of another slab, so thatthe channels 8 or 9 of the respective slabs are placed opposite eachother, substantially as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. In the ductsthereby provided, there is disposed a suitable filler-element 10,preferably rods or sticks of wood, which tend to lock the adjacent slabsin position, against displacement, as will be evident The joints formedbetween the adjacent slabs are then closed by placing over said jointssuitable strips or battens 11, of wood or other suitable material,suitable fastening or securing means 12 in the form of nails, or thelike, being then driven through the said strips or battens 11, into thejoints between the said adjacent slabs, and into the filler-element 10,whereby the said strips or battens 11 are securely fastened in place. Ifdesired, wall-board 13, or

other suitable finish, and an arrangement of.

strips or battens 14 may also be disposed against the adjacent slabs,substantially as illustrated in the several figures of the draw ings,the said wall-board 18 and the battens 14 being similarly secured inplace by an arrangement of nails 15, or similar fastening means, driventhrough the battens 14 and WalLboard 13, and through the joints betweenthe adjacent slabs into the filler-element 10, as will be clearlyunderstood.

This arrangement and assemblage of the various parts permits suitablydecorating the wall of conerete thus provided. It will also be evidentthat with the arrangement of the battens secured over the joints between the adjacent slabs, lath may be nailed to the battens, and a coatof plaster, or the like, may be applied over the lath.

While in the foregoing description I have described, and in theaccompanying drawings, I have illustrated one construction of buildingunit, in the form of a slab, with an arrangement of battens secured overthe joints between the assembled slabs, as well as a manner of securingwall-board or other desired finish to the said slabs, I am fully awarethat other forms of concrete building units may be employed, and thatvarious changes may be made in the general arrangements and combinationsof the various devices and parts, without departing from the scope ofthe present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, andas defined in the clauses of the claims which are appended to the saidspecification. Hence, I do not limit my present invention to the exactarrangements and combinations of the variousdevices and parts asdescribed in the said specification, nor do I confine myself to theexact details of the construction ofthe said parts, as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings.

I claim 1. A wall structure, comprising a plural ity of perpendicularslabs disposed side by side in edge to edge relation, the faces of theedge portions of adjoining slabs each having between their sides avertical longitud nal channel extending from the both to the topthereof, said channels of adjoining slabs being disposed in opposedmatchii'ig relation to provide a vertical chamber inter-- secting thejoint between the slabs, an integral filler element extending throughsaid vertical chamber, a vertical batten covering the exterior end ofthe joint between the slabs, and vertically spaced fastening nailsdriven through said batten and the exterior end of said joint and intosaid filler element,

2. A wall structure, comprising a pluraliity of perpendicular slabsdisposed side by side in edge to edge relation, theta cos of the edgeportions of adjoining slabs each ha ing between their sides a verticallongit di nal channel. extending from the bottom to the top thereof,said channels of adjoin? slabs being disposed in opposed matchingrelation to provide a vertical chamber intersecting the joint betweenthe slabs, an integral filler element extending through said verticalchamber, a vertical batten covering the exterior end of the jointbetween the slabs, vertically spaced fastening nails driven through saidbatten and the exterior end of said oint and into said filler element,an interior wall covering, and vertically spaced fastening nails driventhrough said wall covering and the interior end of said joint and intosaid filler element.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 7th day of September, 1922.

JOSEPH A. BIRKIIOLZ.

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